Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-07
ART MATTERS.
soME x0TEs OF INTEREST FROM VA
RI0us POINTS.
Campaign Againsta Possible Traud-Ae'
elected Tombs In China
ChitChat.

that both are his works. One Is called
a study for the other, but it appears
that one is rather the replica OF the
other. The two New York collectors
who bought from respectable houses
what were supposed to be in each case
unique pictures are far from pleased.
The painter is, chiehy to blame, though
nothing more than negligence need be
charged. Most artists are careful. even
when making replicas. to make the Sc
cond picture on canvas OF different
size, or introduce some minor change
in the composition. BY doing so they
can keep in mind their own works and
save dealers and amateurs much dis
comfort.
A traveller recently from China de-
sc1ibes the neglected condition OF the
tombs of the Ming dynasty, north OF
Pekin and not very far from the Great
Wall. The halls are ruinous-roof-tim-
bers rotting, beautiful tiles falling to
tie ground, and balustrades breaking
down. The approachto Pekinis through
the Avenue of Statuary, mile long.
1.-THE statuary is herculean, and con-
sists Of four pairs of civilians, two pairs
of warriors, pair Of horses standing, q
pair lying down, a pair of elephants
standing and a pair lying down, and
also of camels, lions, and tigers in
pairs, all arranged at intervals on oppo-
site sides of the paved but untravelled
and grass grown road leading from the
gate toward the tomb. Tho effect Of
these stately and solemn monoliths
standing on the edge of the cultivated
fields is exceedingly impressive" The
gateway of marble is said to be by far
the most beautiful in China.
A Toronto paper remarks "Go to !
Let us build M art gallery and stock it
well with pictures. but few there be
who frequent it. Here is another way
of gratifying the needs of our higher
nature in this the provincial metropolis,
and how do We take advantage of it?
At first the thing was novelty, and
for the time being it was the fashion,
| under Viceregal influence, to patroni2e
art and to encourage the Ontario
Society OF Artists to hold annual ex-
hibitiOns and delight its patrons with
the product of local art, taste, and
skill. We talked grandiloquently
of our aesthetic needs, we assured our
selves that there WAS the necessary
talent to crafty them, and promising
adequately to reward those who would
cater to the demand, we called the
society into existence and then practi-
cally left it to extinction. We shall
not characterize the morality OF this
preceding, but We make free to ask
| what proportion, not OF the entire
| population OF Toronto, but of those
who own to taste of art, have seen
the pictures of the year i'll the rooms
on Hing street Of the Ontario Society
| of Artists"
The Cuyahogo county Ohio monu-
| ment to the soldiers aud sailors of the
civil war is TO be an ambitious concern.
A granite and bronze column, with
figure reaching 12j feet in height, will
stand before relic building thirty feet
square and twenty feet high. On each
corner of the building will be pc
destral Elk by seventeen feet aud ten
feet high to carry large groups OF
bronze, representing the navy, artillery,
cavalry, and infantry. The architect,
Levi L. Schofeld, is also the designer
of the groups. That for the infantry
shows nine soldiers in line, standing,
falling, and PROSTATE. The central is
the Color Sergeant, who has just
been hit. On each side two soldiers
either load, make ready, or fire. To
their right and left one man has sunk
to his knees with wound in the leg
another is fatally hit. and sinks with
raised arms. On the extreme right
lies a dead soldier; on the left is one
in the death struggle, who raises his
forearm. The outline is low pyra
mid, as if it were arranged for pedi-
ment. The architect was on the staff
of General J. ID. Cox, and the incident
is taken from the One-Hundred-and-
Third Ohio infantry during one of
Sherman's first Georgia battles. Great
realism is sought in the poses az well as
in the heterogeneous caps, hats, and
boots of the soldiers.
Mr.. Edward Naville describes in the
Academy his discoveries at Tell Basta,
or Bubastis, where immense quantities
of embalned cats and bronze cats
sacred to the cat-headed Bast, Goddess
of Maternity, have been quarried
"On the eastern side is the greatest
amount of blocks There stood what
/ have called the Festive Hall--a large
| building without columns, but peopled
by crowd of statues in red and black
granite. All bear the name of
Rameses H., but many of them were
probably usurped by the great Pharoah
of the nineteenth dynasty. 4 colossal
| head was the first we discovered. 1t
was very soon followed by another.
and by the remains of several colossal
groups. Besides the cartouche OF
Rameses H., the name which occurred
f1st was that OF Osorkon H., of the
twenty. dynasty. A few blocks
only had been unearthed when we saw
that they bore inscriptions OF the King,
which increased in number the more
stones we laid bare. They all belong
to single tableau, representing u great
festival given by the King, very likely
on the day of his coronation. Long
professions of gods are represented,
priests bringing offerings, carrying
sacred boats, or executing religious
dances. Osorkon, either alone or with
his Queen, Karoama, is often repre-
sented in sanctuary, face to face with
| the Goddess Bast."
| General j. II. Wilson reports the
great wall of China in fine condition
where he examined it, though ruinous
in parts. cit is from twenty-five to
thirty feet high, fifteen to twenty feet
thick, and reverted outside and in with
cut granite masonry laid in regular
courses with an excellent mortar OF
| lime and sand. 1t is surmounted by
parspet or battlement OF gray burned
brick eighteen or twenty inches thick,
covered with moss and pierced with
crenelated openings for the defenders,
whether archers or matchlockmen, to
fire through. The rear or inner revet
ment wall is also furnished with lower
parapet, but it is not crenelated. The
top is paved with double layer OF brick
about foot square. The inside OF
the wall is made OF earth and loose
stone. well rammed in. Every 200 or